Vegetables ~ Food Pairing

Alliums

Garlic

~ Fresh garlic goes with almost every savoury ingredient!
~ Black garlic – balsamic vinegar, mushrooms, beef, duck and eggs.
~ Smoked garlic – potatoes, cheddar, pumpkin and squash and strong beefy dishes.
~ Roasted garlic – blue cheese and goat cheese, potatoes, beans and pulses, chicken, pumpkin and squash.

Leeks – chicken, fish in general and salmon in particular, potatoes, cheese, cream and butter.

Onions – these go with almost every savoury ingredient you can think of but particularly with bacon, cheese, cream, garlic, mushrooms, beef and sage.

Spring Onions aka Scallions – Asian dishes, fish, chicken, potatoes and cream.

Root and Tubers

Beetroot – brown sugar, dill, horseradish, cloves, orange, apple, vinegar, mustard, sour cream, onions, game, oily fish, walnuts and goat cheese but NOT school dinners.

Carrot – butter, honey, orange, apple, cabbage, onion, celery, potatoes, sugar, dill, chervil, ginger, parsley, anise, cumin, caraway and cloves.

Celeriac – walnuts, ham, cheese, chicken, mustard, tarragon and sage.

Ginger – chocolate, chilli, lemon, orange, garlic, lime, mango, melon, tomato, vanilla, fish and seafood, honey, whisky, soy, pears, plums, rhubarb, apricot and coriander. See Spices for ground ginger.

Jerusalem Artichokes – garlic, parsley and some of the stronger herbs such as sage or rosemary, apples and pears.

Parsnips – roast meats, especially lamb, nuts, honey and nutmeg.

Potatoes – butter, milk, cream, cheese of all sorts, mayonnaise, onions, garlic in all its forms and nutmeg.

Radishes – good bread, sweet butter and salt, lettuce, spring onions, fennel, some of the sweeter vinegars such as sherry and balsamic, parsley, smoked fish, cheese and sour cream.

Swede aka Rutabaga – sweet warm spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and allspice.

Sweet Potatoes – salmon, shellfish, mango, orange, coconut, cinnamon, cardamom, chilli, pecans, brown sugar, honey, Rum and Bourbon.

Turnips – cream, butter, potatoes, onion, lemon, pork, duck, lamb, curry, black pepper, marjoram, thyme and haggis.

Stems

Asparagus – bacon and ham, especially air dried, salmon, trout and white fish and with eggs, black pepper, peas, lemon and Parmesan and lots of butter.

Celery – apples, walnuts, ham, cheese, onions and carrots and as a stirrer in a bloody mary cocktail.

Fennel – apple, orange, lemon, seafood, pork, bacon, garlic, Parmesan, black pepper, olive oil and peppery salad leaves. (see Spices for fennel seed).

Leafy

Brussesl Sprouts – bacon, butter, chestnuts, onions, juniper, nuts, nutmeg and caraway.

Cabbage – apples, potato, onion, garlic, caraway, nutmeg, mustard, mayonnaise, bacon, pork, beef and game. Additionally red cabbage likes red wine, chestnuts and juniper.

Kale – nutmeg, mustard, parmesan, olive oil and garlic.

Lettuce – citrus, mayonnaise, cream, bacon, fish, herbs, salad vegetables, onions, and peas.

Rocket aka Arugula – goats’ cheese and Parmesan, white beans, tomatoes, peppers, bacon and chicken.

Seaweed – cucumber, sesame, ginger, soy sauce, miso and bacon.

Spinach – cream, nutmeg, black pepper, garlic, bacon, lentils, most cheeses, beans and pulses.

Watercress – apples, pears, blue cheese, walnuts, smoked fish, salmon, ham, bacon, potatoes and leeks.

Legumes

Although they are also legumes please see here for peanuts and here for dried beans and pulses.

Broad Beans aka Fava Beans – bacon and ham, Feta and goats’ cheese in particular and other cheeses too, butter, olive oil, garlic and black pepper.

Green Peas, Sugar Snap Peas and Mange Tout – mint, asparagus, spring onions, leeks, garlic, chives, chicken and shrimp.

Green Beans – see peas above.

Sweetcorn

Technically this is categorised as a grain, a fruit and a vegetable, it is the last category I am dealing with here!

Butter, beans, squash, bacon, tomato chipotle and avocado also cream and brown sugar.

Fruit treated as Vegetables

Aubergine aka Eggplant, Brinjal and Baingan – tomatoes, onions, rice, lamb, curry spices, yogurt, Parmesan, sweet peppers, mint, chilli and garlic.

Avocado – smoky tastes such as smoked chicken, turkey, salmon or bacon, spicy food, seafood and is goes well with fresh coriander, citrus fruits, mango, grapefruit, pineapple and even strawberry.

Chillies – chocolate, tropical fruits, dried beans and lentils, coconut, citrus and butternut squash.

Courgettes aka Zucchini – tomatoes, onions, aubergine, garlic, lemon, basil, oregano, mint, dill and chives and almost all cheeses.

Cucumber – fish, sour cream, yogurt, cream cheese, mayonnaise, vinegar, tomatoes, onion, chilli, mint, dill, chives, parsley and Pimm’s.

Okra – chicken, bacon, ham, corn, cornmeal, onions, sweet peppers, tomatoes, basil and filé powder.

Olives, surprisingly – garlic, anchovies, capers, chilli, coriander seed, lemon, orange, thyme, rosemary, black pepper, tomatoes and martini.

Peppers – beans, aubergines, anchovies, basil, chillies, fresh coriander, corn, garlic, lemon and orange, olive oil, onions, rice, tomatoes and balsamic vinegar.

Pumpkins – caramelised onions, apple and sage, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice and ginger, maple syrup, coconut and nuts.

Squash – nuts, amaretti, leeks, caramelised onion, sage, chilli, roast meats, sweetcorn, balsamic vinegar and many other things.

Tomatoes – onions, garlic, chilli, chipotle, peppers, aubergines, cheese, vinaigrette and famously well with basil but also with oregano and thyme.

Flowers

Artichoke, globe – lemon, hot butter sauce, vinaigrette, ham – especially air dried, bacon, Dijon mustard, eggs, garlic, mayonnaise, mint, Parmesan, and potatoes

Brocolli – butter, most cheeses, crunchy breadcrumbs, garlic, bacon, anchovy, chilli and nuts.

Cauliflower – Indian spices, cheeses, mustard seed, anchovy, cream, potatoes, garlic, lemon, olives, capers and nutmeg.

Fungi

Mushrooms – chicken, bacon, garlic, onion and shallots, cream, wine, sherry and brandy, eggs and cheese, especially brie and black garlic.

Truffles – eggs, potatoes, mushrooms, garlic, Parmesan, Brie and Camembert.

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